Chelsea v Everton: Premier League preview, odds, prediction & free tip

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Chelsea v Everton in the Premier League.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 2pm Sunday

Best bets

Everton draw no bet
1pt 2-1 Betway, Sky Bet

Over 0.5 Everton first-half goals
1pt 7-5 Coral

Team news

Chelsea
N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Callum Hudson-Odoi are injured while Jorginho is suspended. Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have returned to training. Willian and Tammy Abraham are doubts.

Everton
Lucas Digne is fit but Seamus Coleman is out for two weeks. Jean-Philippe Gbamin is still out.

Chelsea v Everton match preview

Carlo Ancelotti ought to get a hero’s reception on his return to Stamford Bridge but Chelsea fans may be pleased to see the back of him by close of play.

The Everton boss won a place in Chelsea folklore in 2009-10 by guiding the club to their one and only Premier League and FA Cup double.

Roman Abramovich, according to reports, always regretted sacking Ancelotti. Chelsea’s loss has ultimately been Everton’s gain and the 60-year-old now rules the roost at Goodison Park and is doing so with some aplomb.

The Toffees have improved massively under the Italian and take on Chelsea at a good time as the Londoners are in mixed form and missing an entire midfield. The visitors can at the very least avoid defeat.

Backing the visitors with the draw no bet as a safety net looks the best bet.

Everton have had a week to prepare for this assignment following last Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

It was another decent performance from the Toffees and only Liverpool and Manchester City have accrued more points than them since Ancelotti’s first game on Boxing Day.

There’s a new-found directness about Everton under their latest manager, a higher press and more adventure, none of which will be a surprise to Chelsea fans, or to Frank Lampard given the entertainment Ancelotti oversaw at the Bridge a decade ago.

He’s also passionate. Watching him having to be restrained by Duncan Ferguson – that’s right, Duncan Ferguson – as he confronted the referee last Sunday illustrated how much he is investing emotionally in getting Everton up the table.

If there’s a weakness it’s perhaps that they can start too high up the pitch and are susceptible to balls in behind them. And goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's form has been questioned.

But they overran Chelsea under Ferguson in December when they dominated in midfield and the fact that the hosts are without N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho is a huge bonus for Everton.

It probably means youngster Billy Gilmour starts again for Chelsea as he did against Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday when a 2-0 win brought their first clean sheet in ten games.

Those injuries – and there are many more – mean Lampard has decisions to make over his team selection, although that’s not his only headache. Figuring out how to succeed at the Bridge is every bit as big an issue.

They have chalked up the fewest home points of any side in the top ten and have scored only 38 per cent of their total goals output at home. That’s the lowest percentage in the division.

Bournemouth and Watford have suffered as many home defeats as Chelsea, whose top scorer since the turn of the year is left-back Marcos Alonso. And he has only just got back in the side.

Another bet to consider – because it continues to pay out – is Everton to score a first-half goal. Since a 1-0 loss at Liverpool in the FA Cup in January, Everton have played seven matches and scored before the break in all seven of them.